The invention relates to an electronic key for the actuation of a lock, having a housing on which a key bit for a mechanical lock is arranged and a receptacle for the key bit.
In automobiles particularly, the doors are often equipped with central locking, the locks of the doors being capable of being operated remotely by infrared or high-frequency radiation by means of an electronic key for the sake of increased convenience. An automobile door is usually provided with an additional mechanical lock for opening the door, the lock being actuable by means of an additional mechanical key. This ensures that at least one lock for opening a door can be actuated even if the electronic key fails, for example if the energy accumulator is empty.
In the case of electronic keys of this type, then, it is known to fasten the additional key bit;, serving as an emergency key for the mechanical lock, to the housing of the key. So that the additional key bit does not interfere with general operation, it is arranged pivotably on the housing, so that it can be folded into the housing.
Now these known electronic keys may also be provided with extended functions, in that they are used additionally for actuating the ignition lock in the automobile. While the automobile is in operation, the key is secured in the ignition lock against inadvertent removal which would unintentionally cause the automobile to be rendered inoperative. Now it has become clear that there are emergencies in which the known keys fail. If, for example, the voltage supply at the ignition lock breaks down while the automobile is in operation, the electronic key can no longer be removed from the ignition lock. It is consequently also no longer possible to lock the doors of the automobile at the mechanical lock by means of the emergency key.